


Sunlight

by adelaide_rain



Series: A Series of Sparks [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, Kissing, M/M, Or at least like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:57:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adelaide_rain/pseuds/adelaide_rain
Summary: A first kiss. Then a few more.





	Sunlight

Travel days are long and at their best monotonous. 

If they’re _not_ monotonous it means they’re being attacked by darkspawn or con artists or bandits that for some reason think a band of heavily armed travellers make for good marks. 

So monotonous is good, but Alistair’s still glad when Maha suggests they make camp early. They won’t reach Kinloch Hold before the end of the day anyway, so they might as well have a good night’s rest.

They make camp, Morrigan away from the rest of them as always, Leliana picking up her miraculously repaired lyre and strumming it, humming under her breath as she does.

Alistair takes off his armour and feels light and relaxed. They’ll arrive at the Circle tomorrow and get help, sort out the business with Connor, help Eamon, get the support they need. Tomorrow, everything will start to go right.

He glances up as Maha emerges from his tent, and tries not to stare. His clothes are in a Dalish style - a pale green shirt, loose but kept tidy with a wide belt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows; then there are tight brown leggings with a loop under his bare feet. There's a dagger in his belt and a smile on his face and Alistair feels a little short of breath as he looks at him. 

“I’m going for a walk before it gets dark,” Maha announces, stretching languidly in a way that doesn’t help Alistair’s predicament at all.

“You shouldn’t go alone,” Alistair says, and Maha smiles at him.

“I’m taking the dog with me.”

“Ah- well, I-“

“But it’d be nice if you came too.”

Alistair is almost certain that Leliana is smirking at him, and it takes a great effort not to glare at her. Instead he nods, and watches as Maha whistles and Fen comes bounding over.

The three of them set off into the woods. It’s quite lovely, Alistair thinks, with the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the leaves and giving everything a green-gold glow. Within minutes it feels like they’re very far away from the world, from the Blight, from death and war and betrayal. Here there’s only him and Maha- 

And an overly excited mabari snuffling at everything in sight. Takes away from the atmosphere a little. 

Still, it’s lovely. Romantic even, Alistair thinks, and his mouth is suddenly dry. It is though, isn’t it? Him and Maha, here in the quiet forest, walking side by side. They’re not talking but they don’t need to; it’s comfortable to be with him and not talk. Usually if Alistair finds himself in silence, anxiety will bubble up in him until he has to fill it with anything that comes to mind, and often enough that’ll be something embarrassing. So this comfort is a rarity, and that alone makes it special.

Makes Maha special.

It’s been a week since Alistair realised how much he likes Maha, and now that they’re only a day from the Circle, he wonders if he should do something about it. Not - not much. Just - he could take his hand, perhaps. Or just tell him. Talk about it. 

But that’s silly, isn’t it? For all that the travel feels like a respite from everything that’s happening, it’s all still out there. The Blight and Loghain, the evils that are threatening to overcome Redcliffe. All of that is far more important than Alistair’s feelings for someone he’s known for six weeks. 

But right now, it doesn’t feel that way.

He glances over to watch Maha undo the small braids that keep his hair out of his face, then comb his fingers through his locks. It’s such a little thing but it feels like he’s letting his guard down around Alistair. Like he trusts him, and that thought makes Alistair feel at once strangely proud, and determined to be worthy of that trust. 

And Maker, it looks good. Auburn hair falling in waves around his face down to his shoulders, emphasising the paleness of his skin and the green of his eyes. It covers a little of his tattoos - Alistair always forgets the Dalish name for them, and vows to remember next time - and lends him a mysterious air. He looks less like the quiet but disciplined Warden that Alistair’s come to know, and more like-

More like himself, Alistair thinks. More like who he was before Alistair met him. Who he was with his clan, his family, before his world fell apart. It makes Alistair’s heart ache, that thought; joining the Wardens was one of the best things that ever happened to him, but Maha had no choice. It tore him from everything he’s ever known yet he’s never said a bitter word about it. It makes Alistair so proud of him, and it makes him wish there was something he could do. There isn’t though, he knows that, save for be his friend.

“Are you alright?” Maha asks, glancing over at him.

“Ah - yes. Just... thinking.”

“Me too.”

They come to a clearing around something between a pond and a lake at the foot of a cliff, the space around it covered in wildflowers and ferns. 

Fen looks up at Maha and barks, wagging his stumpy tail, and Maha gestures at the clearing. 

“Go, tire yourself out,” he says, and Fen gives a happy bark before launching into a run.

Maha takes a seat on a fallen log, hands slightly behind himself and he looks up at the sky with a smile on his face. Alistair can only stare for a moment at how lovely he is. Maha catches him looking and smiles, patting the log by his side. 

“So,” Maha says, once Alistair is seated. “What were you thinking about?”

Drawing breath and drawing courage, Alistair says, “You.”

“Oh?” He’s smiling now; playful, relaxed. A side of him that Alistair’s seen too rarely. 

“Well, I-“ Alistair starts, licking his lips, and sees Maha’s gaze drop to watch the movement. It makes Alistair feel dizzy for a moment, because he's bad at these things and far from experienced but there’s no way to miss the flash of want in Maha’s eyes. “I like you,” he says before he can think better of it, before he can think anything at all. He opens his mouth again to explain or expand or - or _something_ , but Maha’s smile, bright as the sunshine, stops him.

“I like you too,” he says softly, then pauses, looking at Alistair. “But there are a lot of kinds of _like_.”

Alistair nods, not trusting himself with words, so Maha continues.

“And I like you in lots of ways, Alistair. As a friend. A companion. A warrior. And - ah, and more." He pauses, laughs a little and looks aside, his cheeks a pretty shade of pink. "Elgar'nan, I thought I'd be better at this."

"I can't say I mind not being the only awkward one in the relationship. Uh. Not that it's a relationship yet. If you’re even talking about that." Alistair shakes his head and grins at Maha. "Proving my point, aren't I?"

"A little. But I'm glad we're on the same page," Maha says, and he moves closer to Alistair, so that their thighs are touching. Want flares in Alistair, blinding bright, so fierce it startles him. "Can I kiss you?"

"Oh, you want to... right now?" Most of him wants to scream _YES!!!_ but nerves still tighten his belly. Not that this is his first kiss, but it _is_ his first kiss with Maha, and he’s never liked anyone like this before, never felt this desperate intensity that leaves his aching and wanting. Maha sits there, waiting patiently for his response. Alistair takes a calming breath and looks at Maha - at his soft smile, at his lovely green eyes, and feels himself fall a little more. “Well, who am I to refuse?"

Maha’s smiles widens as Alistair leans in, lifting a hand to cup the back of Maha's head as he does, and notices a number of things in quick succession: first, Maha's hair is silky beneath his fingers. Fast on the heels of that is the awareness of Maha's warm breath on his lips. And then, the press of their lips. The first, slightly hesitant; a little nervous. A second, less so. A third, longer, deeper, a flick of Maha’s tongue against Alistair’s own. Want is a fireball in Alistair’s belly and he shifts, angling his head to get a better angle. He opens his mouth and Maha presses his tongue in, both of them moaning softly. Maha moves too, their noses bumping, and he wraps both of his arms around Alistair’s neck, pulling him close. 

They lose themselves in each other, in the kiss, in running hands through hair, in touching everywhere they can, arms and backs and thighs.

Eventually they have to pull apart to breathe and they rest their foreheads together, still holding each other close. Alistair smiles, happiness blooming in him. Maha _likes_ him! Maha likes him and they kissed, and it was good. It was _really_ good. Whatever else is happening in the world, this is _good._

Maha lifts his head again and grins at him before kissing him again, slow but simmering and shivery, and Alistair wants more, he never wants to stop kissing Maha. 

“How about we get back to camp,” Maha murmurs, lips brushing against Alistair’s. “And go to my tent for a little privacy.”

Want and nerves crash together inside Alistair with the force of two dragons clashing.

He wants that. Maker, he wants that.

But... Not yet.

“Your tent. Ah.” He swallows, and sits up. “I - I don’t know if I’m ready for that. It’s a big step.” He gives an awkward laugh and thinks that a darkspawn attack would be most welcome about now. “I guess that must make me sound like an idiot. I mean, turn down someone as incredible as you? I must be.”

“It’s alright,” Maha says, and kisses him again, softly this time before pulling back with a smile. “I understand. Though we probably should head back to camp before it starts getting dark.”

Alistair nods, letting out a relieved breath as they get to their feet. Maha really does seem to understand, to be taking Alistair’s reaction in his stride. Still, he feels like a fool, like he needs to explain. “I guess I was just raised not to take his sort of thing lightly. I hope it hasn’t put you off.”

“Don’t be silly,” Maha says, and pushes onto his tiptoes to kiss Alistair’s cheek before dropping back down to smile at him. “I care for you, too. And you’re worth waiting for.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

“I do.”

Alistair opens his mouth, but what can he say to that? Agreeing would sound arrogant; denying it sounds needy. Instead he smiles back and summons his courage enough to cup Maha’s cheek. “I’m so grateful I met you. I mean - it would’ve been nice if it was under more pleasant circumstances but...”

Turning his head, Maha kisses Alistair’s palm then nods. “I feel the same. On both counts.”

Fen chooses that moment to turn up, running towards them with a loud bark. They smile at each other before Maha turns to Fen to scratch his ear.

Together, the three of them set off back to camp.

“So,” Maha says. “How do you want to - to do this? Do you want to take charge-“

“Maker, no,” Alistair says far too quickly and Maha laughs, the fondness in it outweighing Alistair’s embarrassment. “How about - well.” He reaches over to take Maha’s hand and says, “This is good.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Maha says, and they stay like that, hand in hand, until they reach camp.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first wip series and I'm suddenly nervous...
> 
> Just a reminder that this will end up Maha/Alistair/Zevran. Also, [the picture of Maha I linked to last time](http://raininginadelaide.tumblr.com/post/122709104115/dorian-trash-commission-done-for), I forgot to mention that his hair (and ear) look like that after the final battle. At this point he has the same hairstyle as Zev (and Nate - very embarrassing). 
> 
> As ever, you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/adelaide_rain) and [tumblr.](http://raininginadelaide.tumblr.com)


End file.
